Located in prestigious Fairbanks Ranch California, this beautiful Spanish-style home was completely transformed. Additional square footage was added and original areas of the home were entirely remodelled. While creatively transitioning older spaces to new, the design of the home needed to be impressionable and have an impact without losing the overall integrity of the original architecture. By keeping the original bold archways to the textured walls, ceilings, and other distressed finishes; this home is timeless and is modernly elegant. With the use of Moorish pattern tiles, modern upgrades and traditional furnishings, the clients stated they could not be happier!

Nestled in the tranquil Cochrane area, this farmhouse boasts with both charm and modern design elements. Hidden among the trees, it gives you an immediate feeling of home sweet home. Upon arriving home, you are welcomed with a long stretch of driveway that passes through trees leading to a balanced and well designed exterior. The composition of shingles, siding and rustic brick used on the exterior is current and timeless in modern design. Each space within the home is uniquely charming and significant. The Living area have modern furnishings while implementing traditional farmhouse details, such as wide plank wood flooring and white washed brick tiles. The dining room with its large windows gives picturesque views of the outside. The hip modern cork flooring brings an organic and natural element to the space. The ceiling details in the office captures your visual interest in contrast with the dark natural flooring. Finally, the naturally lit master bedroom has a practical use of space and a warm inviting reclaimed brick fireplace.

This modern farmhouse today is a combination of functional and urban luxuries, mixed with the traditional and rural “farm-to-table” lifestyle.

Gorgeous executive family home located in prestigious Mount Royal. Nestled on a 111X120' lot, this unique BUNGALOW boasts over 3,500 sq. ft. of LUXURIOUS living. Featuring open beamed ceilings, gleaming hardwood, large bright foyer, spacious formal dining room with built-in cabinetry and a sun-drenched family room overlooking the pool.

This spectacular high-end townhouse is in the heart of Killarney. Over 1700 sqft of developed modern design functionality and warmth. The upper level has stunning vaulted ceilings that soar 14-22'. The home has hardwood flooring throughout, custom European cabinetry with ceasarstone counter tops, 2 sided gas fireplace with floor to ceiling stone work in the living room. Who wouldn't want to live here?

It was once said by Bertrand Goldberg that “there are no right angles in nature”. So what we see in more modern style homes to incorporate a warm and soothing aesthetic, is to add in elements that brings us closer to nature. As you look further into the details, they are designed to have some curvilinear forms that mold to the whimsical shapes we often see in nature. The use of natural materials are always a playful way to enhance and soften the more linear lines that are machined or constructed.

Modern Can Breath. Modern is open. Modernleans toward simplicity. It's a complex simplicity, but it's easy on the eye - John Lyle

Modernism, a term that is loosely used today to break-away from traditional ideologies and designs in our society. This movement since the beginning of the Arts & Crafts Movement all the way into Mid 20th Century Modern, is still ever-changing and evolving while keeping the key principles in tact.

With cities everywhere filling up with technological advances and reinforcement of sustainable products, we still see one very simple and primary element that works hand in hand with modernism, that is minimalism. This entails clean lines, uncluttered spaces, simple use of color. Rooms pronounce themselves as a true form of art. The use of straight lines, geometric patterns and soft color tones are what truly accentuate the simplicity and form of a space.

Pictures should tell a story of the space you are shooting. The images taken should highlight both the architectural elements of the space (rooms, flooring, paint, spacing, ….) and the finishing details (decor, furniture, color,..). It is essential to obtain wide angle images to showcase the space as a whole and at the same time it is essential to photograph in more of a vignette style.

A good idea before any shoot is to get familiar with the space itself. Identifying at the same time any elements that are of interest or that draw your attention taking into consideration any requests the designer would like to highlight. Looking at these elements or objects from different angles or perspectives will make you shoot the most captivating photographs.

Another important step in the process is lighting. I find that in the early mornings or at dusk the light becomes more mellow providing you with a more softer and balanced hue for your interior and exterior pictures leading to a more flattering ones.

Each photographer has their unique style. I like to keep my images looking natural to highlight the real ambiance of the space. Too rich and saturated (HDR ) images can look good to some, however can be deceiving and unrealistic to many clients. Pictures too exposed with unnatural lights can also give unappealing results. The key is to highlight the hard work of the designers and make each space look captivating for their portfolio while maintaining a realistic feel for the space.

When it comes to styling, I always keep in mind the wise words of the great designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe that "Less is more". Clutter can make you loose your focus and make the space more confusing to the viewer. Simple and uncluttered pictures can let the viewer imagine their own story of the space.

Capturing the final image is a multitude of layers. It is the artistic combination of all of the above elements. Keep these ideas in mind next time you take interior/exterior images or hire someone to take them for you. You will definitely come out ahead!

A grand project in Elbow River. This luxury home was for sale recently in Calgary. I was fortunate to come in and photograph the interior design of this home. It is tough to photograph such places, because every corner I had turned to, I saw a spectacular vignette or a dramatic landscape that I would like to capture. One of the essential pieces to a good photograph is good lighting. This Calgary home had great natural light seeping in and the artificial lighting was also designed perfectly. Dekora staging knew which great pieces of furniture to select for this home, so that alone made every photograph pop.

A Natural Approach to Color and Interior Design

One should not be afraid to introduce color into a room even if you prefer tones that are more natural. Color is not only pleasing to the eye, it can also affect people emotionally and physiologically. People who are afraid of color can end up creating spaces that feel cold, sterile and unnaturally monochromatic. Stop for a minute and think about how white rooms tend to come across, they rarely seem inviting. Add in a pop of color to that white room and immediately a more inviting space emerges.

If you prefer a more natural look, you can always find inspiration from the great outdoors for all of your interior decorating color schemes. When you do so, you will notice that white is an uncommon color in nature. Some more natural base color ideas taken from nature would be creams, beiges, grays, or light blues. It will be fairly conservative, but not sterile or colorless.

Once you are a little more comfortable experimenting with color, why not add a pop of it to your natural base tone furnishings? An inexpensive way is by using accessories, artwork, or even a flower arrangement. This will add more character and interest to a room. Paint is another option to do so, it comes in a variety of colors and shades, gives an instant change to your space and it is always easy to change. So why not have a little bit of fun by following any of these suggestions?

Once you put the furniture back in place, you will see that the whole room will tell a different story and transform you with the visual interest now stemming.

Here is a fun tip to create depth and interest on your newly accented wall: add some open shelving to display you treasures, this is a minimum investment and tool to show off color and your finest possessions.

You should also keep in mind that it is not essential for furniture to match exactly. You can always tie in different pieces that have different textures, finishes and patterns. This will give the room character, make it a true expression of yourself. Rooms that evolve over time never match exactly. Thus, a room that is overly-matched can end up looking like a floor display at a department store. A room with history and self expression is far more welcoming and comfortable than one without. So do not stress about it and have fun exploring your palette.

House prep advice from an Interior Design Photographer | Calgary Real Estate Photographer. After photographing many homes in Calgary, I have compiled a list of home prep tips to help home owners & realtors sell the home.

By making your home appealing, it will increase the flow of buyers, therefore increasing the price of your home. It really doesn’t take much to get this done either.

In preparing your Calgary home for sale, you have to imagine yourself as the buyer. Ask the question, if you were to buy the home yourself, what would make it appealing to you, and how would you like it to be staged?

Here are 8 Easy steps to prep your home for sale.

1. Curb appeal: Make sure the sidewalks and walkways are cleared, mow the lawn and rake the leaves. Plant flowers, check the trimmings on the windows, for a minor fee you can have them repainted. If your house is in need of exterior paint, at least make sure the front door is in good condition. The front door is the first part of your home the buyers will notice.

2. Declutter your home: Most people don’t notice these things in their own home, because they are used to them. My advice is walk around from room to room and check for any items you are no longer using. Start the clean up by getting rid of or donating anything that isn’t worth hauling to your new home. You want prospective buyers to see your house and not your belongings. The goal is to make your house look spacious and inviting. You only get one chance to make a good first impression.

3. Hire a professional if you don't have time to clean: Buyers usually gauge your home by its cleanliness: Check the house for any distinct smells (pets, smoking, spice), clean and deodorize. Dust and wipe all counters and floors. If you don’t have the time to clean, hire a professional. It’s a smart investment.

4. Clean appearance is the key: Make your bathrooms feel spa-like as it adds to the vision of a clean and well maintained home. Take a look online to see how hotels or home magazines stage their bathrooms when it comes to towels and accessories. You can definitely pick up few tips! Re-caulk showers, tubs and sinks and polish faucets and mirrors.

5. Organize: When it comes to the kitchen, a cluttered kitchen looks like there is no space for storage. Leave only a few items on the countertop. Make sure there are no dirty dishes in the sink. Clean the fridge and stove, and ensure all cabinets and drawers open with ease.

6. Replace & repair: Replace worn out rugs or carpets throughout the home if possible. Take a look at the areas in the house which may need a fresh coat of paint and paint them. Fresh paint suggests a well maintained house and helps to get rid of offensive scents that might be lingering.

7. Pack up those personal photographs and collectables: It is important for home buyers to imagine themselves living in the house instead of being curious about your life. Be sure to put away any valuables to prevent any temptations.

8. Maintenance is an easy fix and can definitely make a huge difference: You don’t want buyers to think there are too many repairs to be done and walk away, especially if cheap and easy repairs can be done. People remember the good, but the bad will linger longer, so give the potential buyers nothing but a positive to remember.

A clean and well prepped home gives us a your photographers the opportunity to portray your house in the best possible light.

Calgary Luxury Real Estate: I just photographed this executive suite in Downtown Calgary and I must admit I had a hard time leaving. The place was architecturally timeless and decorated with style. Not only did I imagine myself living there, but I was so captivated in finding different angles to photograph the home due to its remarkable design. Even though I was shooting the property for Calgary Real Estate, I did sneak a few vignette shots, which highlight a more artistic element in photography. When Shooting real estate, the key is to capture the property from wide angles in oder to highlight the flow of the property and showcase the rooms. The art in it, is to do it tastefully and to retain the art of story telling through the images in order to attract potential buyers.

Another great opportunity to shoot this property in Calgary's inner city. Property sold within a short period of listing. I enjoyed photographing the interior design of the home & the staging by Restage home Staging, so now it is part of my Calgary Real Estate Photography collection.

A modern coastal home designed by KW Designs and constructed by Streamline Development in San Diego, California. The home had a unique open floor plan that connects the living room, dining room, den and kitchen to the outside. I loved photographing this home and its unique features such as textured concrete blocks and the use of other organic materials in a one of a kind installation.

On a recent trip to San Diego, California, I had the privilege of photographing this ocean-view home. The house recently went under a total transformation under the great design of Nena Aziz (www.nenaazizinteriors.com). I chose the twilight & late afternoon to photograph it in order to bring out the colors and highlight the beautiful natural and artificial lighting of this beautiful home.

I had the pleasure of photographing this great project for Streamline Development & KW Designs in San Diego, California. The inspiration behind this zen design and the use of organic material helped create a natural peaceful setting for the home owner.

Having an ocean view makes one appreciate the ritual of starting the day on this California Coast.

A 200 year old treated Indonesian tree.

Bathtub made of Iroko wood which is found on the west coast of tropical Africa.